Books and Kits
Compiled by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor
Introduction to Fourier Optics
by Joseph W. Goodman. Roberts and Company Publishers; Third Edition, Greenwood Village, CO, 2004. 528 pages. $98.50. ISBN: 0-9747077-2-4. (www.roberts-publishers.com).
Along with Diffraction Integral and Geometrical Optics, Fourier Optics represents one of the three major avenues towards understanding classical optics. Named after French physicist Joseph Fourier (March 21, 1768 - May 16, 1830), who created the Fourier Series (after which the aptly-named “Fourier Analysis” was dubbed), Fourier Optics refers to optical technologies arising as a result of the plane wave spectrum viewpoint being combined with quadratic lenses, to produce 2D image processing devices. According to www.fourieroptics.org, “Fourier optics describes the propagation of light using Fourier analysis. It can be used to describe Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction. The Fraunhofer diffraction pattern is the Fourier transform of the diffracting object.” In layman’s terms, without Fourier Optics, most images couldn’t exist.
Roberts Publishers has just released the third edition of “Introduction to Fourier Optics,” by Joseph W. Goodman. According to the press release, “This book deals with its applications in optics, and in particular with its applications to diffraction, imaging, optical data processing, holography and optical communications.” Chapters include Fourier “Fourier Analysis in Two Dimensions,” “Foundations of Scalar Diffraction Theory,” and “Fresnel and Fraunhofer Diffraction.” The author, Joseph W. Goodman, held the William Ayer Chair in Electrical Engineering at Stanford, and currently serves as the William Ayer Professor Emeritus.
Speckle Phenomena in Optics
by Joseph W. Goodman. Roberts & Company Publishers, Greenwood Vilage, CO, 2007. 406 pages. $98.50. ISBN: 0-9747077-9-1. (www.roberts-publishers.com).
 When a line of points occupy the same phase, it produces what’s called a “wavefront.” Combine a set of optical wavefronts with mutual interference and you’ve got a random intensity pattern known as “speckle.” The phenomenon was first sketched in 1877 by Karl Exner. According to Martin E. Anderson, Speckle is, “a random, deterministic, interference pattern in an image formed with coherent radiation of a medium containing many sub-resolution scatterers.” As Anderson points out, speckle is a detriment to ultrasound imaging (due to a reduced ability to detect lesions), and it produces a lower ultrasound resolution as compared to x-ray and MRI. But the speckle effect is useful in stellar speckle astronomy, speckle imaging and in eye testing using speckle.
“Speckle Phenomena in Optics: Theory and Applications” by William Ayer Professor Emeritus Joseph W. Goodman, is a good primer on the speckle and the speckle effect. It is billed as providing “a comprehensive discussion of the statistical properties of speckle, as well as detailed coverage of its role in applications.” The varied topics include speckle in astronomy, speckle in the eye, speckle in projection displays, speckle in coherence tomography, speckle in lithography, speckle in waveguides (modal noise), speckle in optical radar detection, and speckle in metrology. It is aimed at graduate students and industry professionals, but the casual observer with an interest in the speckle effect may also find it enjoyable. The book is available from Roberts and Company Publishers for $98.50.
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